


Respite

by Heartcrystal2000



Series: Rebirth AU [2]
Category: Hollow Knight (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Camping, Comfort, Fluff, Ghost needs a break, Half-Siblings, Hornet is secretly kind of a softie, Other, Quirrel is a sweetheart, Romance, Self-Hatred, a bit of angst, snuggles
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-26
Updated: 2018-11-26
Packaged: 2019-08-29 14:26:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,160
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16745710
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Heartcrystal2000/pseuds/Heartcrystal2000
Summary: Ghost still struggles with their self-esteem issues about being a Vessel, and Quirrel and Hornet think they could use some time away from the palace. So, they plan a nice, relaxing camping trip to Queen’s Gardens. Although things don’t go exactly as planned, the trip proves a good time to confront some of those bottled-up emotions.





	Respite

**Author's Note:**

> Part of a series I’m working on with my friend StellaHope. This isn’t at all in chronological order, it’ll probably make more sense once more gets written and posted.
> 
> (I just really wanted to write some Quirrel/Ghost snuggles. I need those in my life.)

“This place truly is a marvel,” I remark, pausing for a moment to examine one of the massive flowers growing alongside the path. “I must say, I rather regret not coming here sooner.”

‘ _Might be good you didn’t. Mantises not friendly. Much calmer now,_ ’ Ghost explains.

Hornet nods in agreement, slicing through an obstructing clump of greenery. “Even a sane mantis is a powerful foe, but the ones that had been maddened and strengthened by the infection were forces to be reckoned with.”

‘ _Hard to kill,_ ’ her smaller sibling finishes. A moment later I can sense a pang of regret, which the Vessel quickly silences.

I walk over to Ghost, taking their claws in mine and pressing them to my mask. “Don’t dwell on such things, dear. We have all done things we aren’t proud of. Let’s leave our pasts behind, just for today, alright?” I gesture to our surroundings and continue, “We should enjoy our time together in this beautiful place.” 

“You two should visit the Hive, your honeyed words would fit in well,” Hornet says dryly, stabbing her needle into the nearest shrub and splitting its stalk down the middle.

Ghost looks up thoughtfully, tapping their chin. ‘ _Do need to send ambassadors soon…_ ’ Their tone is so neutral that I can’t tell if they’re joking or not. Hornet lets out a quiet snort. 

“Please, let’s talk about something else. Ghost, you promised me you wouldn’t think about the kingdom or your duties today,” I remind the smaller bug. Turning to my other companion, I continue, “And I don’t want to hear any of that from you, either. You should be a good influence for your sibling.”

“I wasn’t aware being the King’s boyfriend gave you royal authority. Need I remind you that you are speaking to the Queen of Deepnest?” Hornet says.

“And need I remind _you_ that I’ve been walking this earth for even longer than you have?” I counter.

Ghost projects a mental eyeroll. ‘ _And I am King of all Hallownest. No arguing. No talk of kingdom. Remember, Quirrel?_ ’

I can feel my face start to burn beneath my mask. How is it that the Vessel always manages to catch me so off-guard? And half of the time it seems that they don’t even know they’re doing it! “ _Well, they certainly did this time,_ ” I think. “ _It seems they’re starting to pick up on their sister’s attitude._ ”

Still blushing, I pick up my pace and quickly pass my friends. “Come on now, we should keep going before we lose the rest of the day!” I call out over my shoulder.

Even with as fast as I’m going, Hornet soon outpaces me, cutting a path through the gardens with deft slashes of her weapon. Ghost, however, elects to walk by my side. They reach over and give my claws a squeeze, their mind brushing against mine. ‘ _Thank you._ ’

“Of course, my little Ghost.”

A few hours pass as we continue our hike. Neither of my companions say much--Hornet seems too focused on leading the way to talk, and Ghost is their usual quiet self. But I can’t really complain. If anything, the silence gives me more time to study the Gardens and their contents. “ _I should see if I can find any notes on these in Monomon’s journals,_ ” I think as I pause to sketch a plant that I’ve never seen before. “ _How she must have loved this place…_ ”

“It looks like we may need to do a bit of climbing,” Hornet remarks, snapping me out of my thoughts.

I look up to see a massive, vine-covered cliff towering before us. Slatted metal platforms poke out at regular intervals along its side, supported by a network of bars and hinges.

“Will you two be able to make it up on your own?” the half-spider continues. “My thread should be able to support at least two of us.”

‘ _Long climb. Need to go fast. Quirrel need help?_ ’ Ghost projects.

Looking down, I see the tangles of thorns that await me if I fall. In my youth, a climb like this would have been no problem. “ _I suppose I still could do it if I paced myself..._ ”

I glance back at my companions, trying to squash the nervous feeling in my gut. “No, no, I’ll be fine,” I reassure them, walking to the edge of the cliff.

“Alright then,” Hornet says. In a flash, she’s flung her needle to the cavern’s ceiling and is halfway up the thread.

Ghost just stares at me. ‘ _But you’re tired._ ’

“I’ll be _fine_ , dear.”

Before they have a chance to protest, I leap to the nearest platform, then the next, and the next. Unfortunately, that’s about as long as my energy lasts. My arms and legs start to shake as I sink to my knees, digging my claws into the grate.

‘ _QUIRREL! QUIRRELCLIMBMOVEGO!_ ’ Ghost cries, their thoughts abruptly battering my mind.

“Ghost, I’m only tired, there’s nothing to worr--” Suddenly, the platform beneath me begins to tilt. I scrabble at the metal, but I’m so weak that I can’t keep my grip. All I can do is screech in terror as I plunge towards the thorns below. 

Something dark and bitterly cold wraps around me, pulling me along with it as it moves. My back hits the cliff a moment later as my rescuer pins me to it. I look up, coming face-to-face with a pair of bright white eyes in a pitch-black mask. The shadows melt away, sinking back into the shell of the bug holding me— Ghost, their Mantis Claw hooked around one of the nearby vines. A pair of wings materialize from their back as they push off the wall, half-flying and half-climbing towards the top.

After nearly a minute of grappling our way up the cliff, we finally make it to the top. I fall to the ground, drawing my limbs close and curling up into a tight little ball. Ghost wraps their arms around me, their cloak spreading out over my shell. ‘ _QuirrelsafeQuirrelsafeQuirrelsafeQuirrelsafe,_ ’ plays on repeat in their mind.

The sound of footsteps on grass is loud in my ears as our companion rushes over. “Are either of you hurt?! Did you hit the thorns?” I hear Hornet shout.

‘ _Safe. Quirrelissafe,_ ” Ghost replies, starting to calm down ever so slightly.

“And you?”

‘ _Safe._ ’

I uncurl a little, looking up at my companions. “Y-yes, I’m alright. I’m just a little shaken is all,” I reassure them, getting to my feet.

Hornet sighs, a surprisingly heartfelt look of relief showing in her dark eyes. “Good. Regardless, I suggest we find a place to camp for the night. You look like you could use some rest.”

“That would probably be for the best,” I reply, fatigue already sinking into my muscles.

The half-spider takes a moment to look me over, briefly checking for injuries, before swinging off on her thread to look for a campsite.

Ghost still hasn’t left my side. Their claws are wrapped tightly around mine. ‘ _We both need rest. Should follow,_ ’ they say. They project the words slowly, tentatively, as if they don’t quite trust themselves to speak normally.

I nod and start to walk after my other companion. Ghost sticks with me the entire way, their cloaked shoulder brushing my arm as we walk together.

It doesn’t take Hornet long to find a suitable campsite—a small glade just off the beaten path, hidden almost completely by a snarl of vines. Its walls and floors are lined with a thick blanket of leaves. Ghost cuts away a portion of the foliage before their sister sets about making a fire in the impromptu pit.

I take a seat beside the tiny, crackling blaze, sighing as I recline against the soft leaves. Ghost settles down beside me, drawing their cloak around themselves and leaning against my shoulder. I reach over and give their head a gentle rub. 

Once Hornet has the fire going, she sits down across from us, her dress flowing out around her in a carmine puddle. She reaches into a little drawstring bag and pulls out a chunk of vegetable, tossing it to me. “Here, you should have something to eat.”

“Wouldn’t you like some? Surely you must be hungry as well?” I ask, preparing to break off a piece of the food. 

She shakes her head. “I’ve already eaten today. And, while I may not be fully self-sustaining as my siblings are, I do not need to eat as much as most bugs,” she explains. “Go ahead, enjoy.” If I didn’t know better, I’d think I was hearing a certain gentleness in the half-spider’s voice. 

Nodding my thanks, I lift my mask slightly and start nibbling away at the vegetable. Across the fire, Hornet reaches into her bag again and pulls out a pair of shellwood sticks, a twisted clump of dark blue yarn dangling from the ends. In the blink of an eye, she starts moving the sticks back and forth, looping the yarn around them over and over. The clump at the end starts to take shape, elongating into a wavy length of cloth. I watch on in astonished fascination. 

“ _You_ know how to _knit_?” I ask, hardly able to believe my eyes.

Hornet pauses and looks up. “And this surprises you why?”

“O-oh, I meant no offense by it!” I reply quickly. “It just strikes me as a rather… unlikely hobby for you to have, that’s all.”

 “You seem to forget that I’m half spider,” she replies with an amused snort.

In the back of my head, I can hear Ghost snickering. “You knew about this, didn’t you?” I turn to my smaller companion and ask.

‘ _Yes. It is surprising._ ’

“Why are you laughing, then?!”

‘ _Cute when you’re embarrassed._ ’

For the second time today, I find myself curling into a ball. “Why do you two insist on doing this to me?”

The siblings burst into laughter, the sounds ringing in my ears and mind. It takes several seconds for them to get their giggling under control and for me to come out of my shell a little ways. But when I do, I see a look on my usually stoic companions’ faces that can only be described as a smile—or at least as close to one as their masks can get. I can’t stop myself from grinning along with them.

“So…” I say, sitting up and clearing my throat, “what exactly are you knitting, if I may ask?”

“It’s just a simple scarf,” she replies, though the look in her eyes suggests something more.

‘ _And?_ ’ Ghost asks, apparently having noticed the same thing I did.

Hornet sighs, looking down at her needles and yarn. “It’s going to be a gift for my attendant, Aria the Weaver. I wasn’t particularly thrilled with the idea of having an attendant at first, but I must admit that she has proven extremely helpful,” the other bug explains. “And… she has always treated me with kindness and respect, she does not look at me as if I am an outsider. I figured she deserved something in return.” 

“There’s no need to feel embarrassed about giving someone a gift. It’s very sweet of you to do so,” I reply, a warm, genuine smile creeping across my face.

Hornet ducks her head ever so slightly, her needles and yarn resuming their looping patterns. “...Thank you, Quirrel,” she says quietly. 

“Anytime, my friend.”

I finish off the last of my meal, alternating between watching Hornet work and looking around at the variety of plants lining the walls. Beside me, Ghost stares resolutely into the fire, the flickering light seeming to disappear into their eyes. Unspoken thoughts churn through their mind.

Reaching over, I gently wrap an arm around the little bug and draw them a bit closer. “Are you feeling okay, dear?”

‘ _Yes, fine._ ’

“Are you sure? If there’s anything you would like to talk about, I’m happy to listen.” 

‘ _Fine, thanks._ ’

“Alright then… But please, let me know if you need anything.” 

They give no response, and I can’t quite shake the uncomfortable sensations that I’m sure are coming from them. With any luck, they’ll open up about it in time. “ _I suppose it’s no use to pry. You’re quite a good secret-keeper, aren’t you?_ ”

An especially loud pop from the fire brings me back to the present. Come to think of it, that’s the loudest noise I’ve heard in awhile. The silence is starting to feel rather awkward. Ghost doesn’t seem to want to talk and Hornet is usually stoic, but I might be able to get a conversation going. But what to talk about…?

After a moment’s pause, I ask, “Hornet, you lived in Greenpath for a while, right? How would you say it compares to these gardens?”

The topic must be one of great importance to Hornet, as she launches into an extensive description of what life in Greenpath is like and how she much prefers its wild tangles to the Garden’s manicured groves. Ghost even joins in every once in a while, explaining that they just enjoy seeing so much green in one place. This in turn leads to an even longer discussion about the colors and general aesthetics of the siblings’ respective birthplaces.

It takes a gentle poke in my side for me to realize that I’d actually started to doze off. The conversation seems to have died down by now, and both of my companions are giving me looks. Ghost’s little claws are suspiciously close to where I’d been poked.

“Perhaps it’s time you get some rest,” Hornet says wryly. “You certainly seem to need it.” 

“O-oh, I’m terribly sorry! I must be a bit more tired than I realized,” I stammer, desperately trying to stifle a yawn. 

“That goes for you too, Ghost, I won’t have you defeating the entire purpose of this trip by staying up all night,” Hornet continues with a slight glare at her sibling.

Ghost’s mind is silent for a moment as they draw their cloak tighter around themselves. Then they fall back and land with a thud on the leaves. ‘ _Okay. Sleeping now._ ’ 

A surprisingly loud chuckle bursts from my mouth. I hold a hand to my mask, trying in vain to muffle my laughter so I don’t wake Ghost—providing that’s even possible, that is. Even the shouting of the husks didn’t seem to bother them back in the City of Tears.

‘ _Still asleep,_ ’ they say in a mock whisper.

Hornet sighs and shakes her head. “Sleep well, you two,” she says, returning her attention to her scarf.

“You as well,” I reply, scooping Ghost up in my arms.

I carry the little Vessel over to a patch of especially soft-looking foliage, resting them on the leaves before lying down, too. A faint chill brushes my shell as I curl up against them. Sighing, I close my eyes and press my mask to theirs.

‘ _Quirrel?_ ’

The voice is so soft that I almost think I dreamed it, or that I didn’t hear anything at all. Adjusting my position on the leaves, I try once again to fall asleep.

‘ _Quirrel, wake up._ ’ 

This time I know I’m not hearing things. Opening my eyes, I see that Ghost is wide awake, staring at me. Their claws are wrapped together in an anxious little ball. 

“Oh, I thought you were asleep,” I whisper. “Is something wrong, dearest?”

‘ _Can we talk?_ ’ Their voice is so quiet, barely distinguishable from the background noise of the gardens. 

“Of course.” 

The darkness in Ghost’s eyes begins to swirl, and they grip their claws tighter. ‘ _Do you love me?_ ’

“What—I—yes. Yes of course,” I stutter. “What on earth would make you think otherwise?” 

‘ _I’m just a husk. Empty shell. I kill and don’t feel._ ’ Pinpricks of black liquid appear in the corners of their eyes. ‘ _I d-don’t… don’t deserve this…_ ’

I reach out and grab their claws, holding them close to my chest. “No, Ghost, absolutely none of that is true. _None of it_. What happened to you, what made you hollow, that wasn’t your fault. And I know that you feel, even if you don’t think so.” 

‘ _Not always._ ’

“But you are feeling now, and that’s what matters.” 

Ghost presses themselves against me, their cloak not nearly enough to block the fierce cold radiating from their shell. Icy tears run down their mask. ‘ _Why? Why does it matter? Whywhywhy! Whycan’tbenormalbug? WhyVesselwhyVoidwhyme?_ ’ Their voice trails off for a few seconds as they press their claws over their eyes, digging them into their mask. With a thin, shuddering sigh, they choke out, ‘ _Just want to be like you._ ’

Normal. Like me. A weak, timid scholar who can’t even remember his own life is the role-model for a king? A being, Void or not, who fought _gods_ ? “ _Oh, Ghost… How I wish you could see yourself as I do, as this whole kingdom does. I wish I could show you._ ”

My heart flutters slightly as I realize that maybe I _can_ show them how much I care, or at least how much I trust them. Squashing a bit of nervousness, I hook my claws under the edge of my mask and slide it up to the top of my head. Fresh air brushes against the softer shell of my face for the first time in a long while. The tips of my antennae pop out from beneath my hood.

I gently take a hold of Ghost’s chin and tilt their head up towards mine. The Vessel lets out a mental gasp. ‘ _Quirrelnomaskwhat?_ ’

“You’re no monster, Ghost, and you do not need to be ashamed of who or what you are. Whether you’re bug or Void or something in between is not what determines your worth,” I say as I start to wipe their tears away. “And you and I both know that our pasts don’t have to define us. Hallownest’s rebirth has given us both new chances. I know it’s hard right now, but I promise that it will get better, love.” Unsure of what to say next but feeling like I should do something more, I lean in and plant a kiss on Ghost’s mask.

Ghost stares up at me, their eyes looking even wider than normal. I give them a warm little smile and whisper, “I just want you to know how much I love you, no matter what happens. I will always be here for you.”

Moving in a pale blur, the little bug throws their arms around me, nestling their head under my chin. ‘ _Thank you, Quirrel._ ’ 

“Anytime, dear,” I reply. “Are you feeling a bit better, now?”

They nod. ‘ _Yes. Just tired._ ’

“Try to get some sleep, then. You really do need more than you get back at the palace.” 

‘ _Okay…_ ’ the Vessel mumbles, their consciousness already fading. ‘ _Love you…_ ’ 

I close my eyes, relaxing at their calm, familiar chill. “I love you too, my little Ghost.”


End file.
